Shock strut for a vehicle

Abstract

In a shock strut for a vehicle including a spring plate for supporting a helical spring, a receiving or catching member is connected to the spring plate. The receiving member prevents any lateral movement of the helical spring in the event of a spring failure. A simple connection of the receiving member to the spring plate is provided independently of the materials used for these members. The connection is afforded by downwardly projecting parts on the receiving member which extend through suitably dimensioned openings in the spring plate.

We claim: 
     
       1. A shock strut for a vehicle having a vibration damper and a vehicle support spring, the vibration damper includes an upwardly arranged axially extending generally cylindrically shaped container having an upper and lower end, the lower end of said container arranged to be connected to a wheel carrier, the upper end of said container arranged to have a piston rod extending upwardly therefrom out of the container for connection to the vehicle body, the vehicle support spring is a helical spring, a spring plate extending transversely of the axis of said container and rigidly attached to the container, intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, said spring plate having an upper surface facing toward the upper end of said container and a lower surface facing toward the lower end of said container, a receiving member for said helical spring for preventing the lateral movement of the helical spring in the event of a spring failure is connected to said spring plate, wherein the improvement comprises that said receiving member extends generally in the axial direction of the container and has a lower end with downwardly directed projecting parts with the lower end of said receiving member bearing downwardly on the upper surface of said spring plate, said spring plate having recesses extending downwardly from the upper surface thereof and shaped so that said projecting parts extend into the recesses for securing said receiving member to said spring plate. 
     
     
       2. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiving member extending arcuately relative to the axis of said container, said projecting parts and said recesses are located along an arcuately shaped line extending in the circumferential direction around said container and said arcuately shaped line being adapted to the radius of said receiving member. 
     
     
       3. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said recesses are openings extending through said spring plate in the axial direction of said container from the upper surface to the lower surface of said spring plate. 
     
     
       4. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said projecting parts extending through said openings in said spring plate are bent over into contact with the lower surface of said spring plate. 
     
     
       5. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 4, wherein a pair of said projecting parts extend through each said opening in said spring plate and said projecting parts of said pair are bent in opposite directions relative to one another. 
     
     
       6. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said projecting parts have a snap-on connection at the ends thereof arranged to project through the openings in said spring plate for effecting a locking interengagement with the lower surface of said spring plate. 
     
     
       7. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiving member has a radially inner and a radially outer surface, a contact part extending radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of said receiving device adjacent the lower end thereof, said contact part extending transversely of the axis of said container, said contact part having an upper surface facing toward the upper end of said container and a lower end facing toward the lower end of said container with the upper surface thereof forming a support surface for the helical spring so that the helical spring presses said contact part against said spring plate. 
     
     
       8. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, including means for clamping said receiving member to said spring plate. 
     
     
       9. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said receiving member is formed of a metal reinforced plastics material. 
     
     
       10. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiving member is formed of a metal reinforced plastics material. 
     
     
       11. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiving member is located radially inwardly of said helical spring. 
     
     
       12. A shock strut, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiving member extends upwardly from said spring plate to the region of the upper end of said container.